Substantially all horse blankets are made with two types of closures in the front--Closed or Open in several varieties.
With respect to the closed front type, both sides or flaps are merely stitched together with some type of reinforcement over the seam. While such construction is permanent and requires no adjustment when it is put on a horse, it has the disadvantage, of course, that it must fit perfectly, which most do not, because horses come in a variety of sizes. The result is that it can be too tight and break or be too loose and sag and snag. Furthermore, small individuals often have difficulty putting the blanket on the horse because it must be put up and over the horse's head. Some horses' temperaments do not permit this Thus, while a closed front is simple and needs no adjustment, the disadvantage is that no adjustment is possible, a perfect fit is not always possible, and it must be put up and over a horse's head.
The open front generally has been provided to overcome the disadvantages of the closed front. There are many types of open fronts. The following will include substantially all of the varieties: (a) single strap closure as illustrated generally in FIG. 8 of the drawings herein; (b) two-strap closure as illustrated in FIG. 7; (c) two adjustable closures, web or elastic, as illustrated generally in FIG. 6; (d) one/two straps in grommets, metal or leather as illustrated generally in FIG. 9.
While the open front closures partially overcome the objections of the closed front closure, because of manufacturing efficiencies, such, for example, as skimping on front materials, the intended overlapping front is not always achieved, and, as a consequence, snagging and tearing is often experienced. Under these conditions the horse can fight the blanket in its stall thus rubbing and possibly injuring its chest. In addition, if the blanket is not closed completely, the cold can enter. Strength and tearing is also a problem because horses do not always like to be blanketed. A horse will often fight a blanket and eventually tear it off.
Accordingly, the need has arisen for a horse blanket having a flexible front closure system which allows for unlimited adjustment while at the same time providing a strong fixed locking feature.